When shooting at a moving target the distance in front of the target that the shooter must aim to successfully hit the target is referred to as the lead distance, and commonly abbreviated to lead. The shooting community has long understood the necessity to lead moving targets. However, both experienced and novice shooters can have problems establishing the correct amount of lead for a given target.
There are several traditional civilian methods for recording both video and still images of targets being shot at. In most typical processes, a video camera is approximately directed at the shooting device point of aim and video is captured for later playback, but no lead picture is generated and no point of aim reticule is displayed.
In some cases video has been taken directly, or via a prism, through the rifle scope but this invention records video and images independently from a scope mounted on the shooting device.
This invention has specific application in the hunting, target shooting, and law enforcement fields. However, it can be utilized in any field where it is helpful to capture the sight picture of the user at key points in time as it relates to targeting an object. The primary example used in the figures and description will be the case in which a shotgun is being used to shoot at clay targets at a suitable target range facility.
In the clay target and shotgun case the two most common methods of giving a target the appropriate amount of lead are the swing through method, and the sustained lead method.                In the swing through method, the shooter starts with the gun sight behind the target and moves (swings) the gun barrel sight up behind the target and then past the target and shoots at the point they intuitively feel matches their experience of what lead to give. The gun aim point is swinging faster than the target and provided the gun has accelerated “past” the target and is kept swinging the aim point at gun discharge will actually be leading the target more than the shooter perceived, as the time between the decision to shoot and the gun discharge results in an increased lead.        In the sustained lead method a shooter establishes a lead based on their experience and then will match the swing of the gun to the target speed while sustaining the predetermined lead. If for example the shooter believes he should lead a target by 3 feet then he will attempt to have the aim point of the gun stay 3 feet in front of the target while matching the swing of the barrel to the speed of the target.It is beneficial in both these methods that the gun be kept swinging as the gun discharges.        
Common shooting technique errors such as errors from shooting device mounting, improper position, lifting of the head, improper balance, improper aiming, and more complex problems such as learning to lead the target correctly, have traditionally required a lot of time and practice with live firing.
Many of these errors, including correctly leading a target, are more efficiently identified and resolved with the visual aids and feedback provided by this invention.
In the clay target and shotgun case some of these more common errors are:
                (1) Aiming at the target and not giving any lead.        (2) Giving the target a lead but stopping swinging the gun at the point of shooting.        (3) Not having the experience or knowledge to correctly estimate the required lead.        (4) Not continuing the smooth swing of the gun during the shooting sequence.This invention will give the shooter the feedback to much more quickly learn what mistakes they are making and allow more rapid correction and the development of a more accurate shooting technique.        
Traditionally shooters have spent considerable amounts of time and money on efforts to establish techniques that allows successful aiming of shooting devices. By giving the shooter the feedback in image form they will more quickly become proficient with the shooting device. The present invention is directed to that end.